“You have a big—” Avery says, and the blood immediately drains from my whole body, thinking she is going to say penis. I don’t even know why my head went there but it did. “Kitchen.”
I literally let out a sigh of relief. “You think so? Well, then, you should see Glammy and Grand-père’s,” I inform her as we walk to the island. “It’s really big.” Her eyes go huge. “I got you a stool,”
I tell her, walking over to the wooden thing my mother told me to buy her so she could stand next to me safely. Apparently, all my cousins have it, who knew. “Okay, let’s make pancakes.” I grab the bowl. “Momma.” I look up at Addison. “We are going to make breakfast for you.”
“I can help.” She is about to take a step to us and I hold up my hand and shake my head.
“You will not. You sit down, drink your coffee, and relax.”
“Yeah, Momma,” Avery repeats, “relax.” She then looks at me. “Do you have chocolate chips?”
She tries to whisper to me but her voice is nothing like a whisper.
“I do,” I whisper back to her. “Should we do chocolate chip pancakes?” I ask her, making her eyes go big, and she smirks at me as she nods her head. Side by side we make breakfast, well, she helps make the pancakes. I do the stove but she does help with setting the table. I can’t even put into words how I feel sitting down at the table with them.
After breakfast, we go out into the yard where I show her the tree house my parents bought for her.
She runs toward the tree house, her hair flying behind her, yelling that it says her name on it.
Addison and I follow her, the both of us not sure what to say. “This is incredible,” Addison finally says, looking at me.
“Not as incredible as her mother,” I mumble, but I know she hears me because her cheeks get a touch pink, “or that kiss we had last night.”
She’s about to say something when Avery comes running out and grabs her hand, pulling her toward the tree house. I stand here as she shows her everything in the house. When the clouds start to roll in, Addison tells her it’s time to go. Avery isn’t the only one who groans about that. I walk them to their car and Avery pouts the whole time. “Be good and I’ll come and see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay, but don’t go in my house,” Avery tells me of her tree house and it makes me laugh.
I close the door to the car, standing in front of Addison. “Thank you for today,” she says as she wrings her hands together nervously.
“You’re more than welcome.” I try to draw it out longer. “You are also more than welcome to stay for dinner and even breakfast.” I wink at her and she just shakes her head laughing. “Did you take the
check?”
“Stefano,” she groans my name and all I can do is smirk at her as I close the distance between us.
“I like hearing you say my name,” I tell her, then lean in even more, “but I love hearing you moan it more.”
She pushes my chest away as she laughs even harder. “Goodbye,” she says, opening the driver’s door.
“No kiss?” I question, right before she closes the door and the back window opens.
“I’ll kiss you,” Avery says to me, and yup, totally done for. My heart explodes in my chest as I stick my head in the window and kiss her cheek and then her neck. “That tickles.” She squeezes her neck closed.
“Call me when you get home,” I tell her and watch her drive away. I stand here until I can’t see her anymore and then go back into my house. Walking inside, I see the check still on the table and shake my head. “Stubborn woman,” I mumble before I make my way to the kitchen, put things away, and clean up before grabbing my laptop. I get lost in my work and only when my phone rings do I look up.
I see that it’s Avery FaceTiming me. “Hello,” I greet once her face fills my phone.
“Hello, Dad,” she says. She doesn’t really call me Dad or Daddy often, but when she does it warms my soul. “I’m going to bed.”
“Going to bed?” I gasp before I turn my head to see it’s after seven. “Did you eat dinner?”
“Yes, Momma made grilled cheese,” she tells me and I smile. “Momma, Dad is on the phone.”
“What phone?” I hear Addison ask from somewhere in her apartment.
“Mine,” she states, walking to her mother. I see she is getting dressed, I get a glimpse of her leg and her lace panties before she squeals and grabs the phone from Avery.
Her face fills the phone. “And this is why it’s not a good idea for a four-year-old to have a phone,” she hisses.
“I mean, she could have called me with your phone.” I make the argument, and all she does is glare at me. “Go put our girl to bed and call me back,” I tell her and she’s about to say something to me. “I like that color of lace,” I declare. All that earns me is her teeth grinding together.
“Say good night to your father.” She hands the phone to Avery.
“Good night, Father,” Avery says, “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I say softly and then the phone goes dead. I wait thirty minutes before I call her number.
“Hello,” she mumbles and then I press the FaceTime button. “Why are you FaceTiming me?” she asks me but accepts and her face fills the screen.
“What are you doing?” I ask her, seeing she is on the couch.
“Homework,” she tells me. “What can I do for you?”
“Two things,” I say, holding up one finger. “One, you forgot the check.” She rolls her eyes. “And
two, will you go out with me?” I just look at her. “Why don’t you just think about it?”
I wait for what seems like forever but is just a couple of seconds. “Okay, fine, I’ll think about it.”
I can’t help but smile at her. “Are you free next Saturday?”
She laughs. “I thought you said to think about it?”
“I did.” I laugh. “But I have to start planning.”
She laughs at me. “What if I say no?”
I smirk at her, my heart speeding up fast, my cock getting hard for her. “What if you say yes? I have to be ready.”
She shakes her head, but the smile on her face is beautiful. “Goodbye, Stefano.”
I look at her, wishing I could kiss her again. “Good night, li’l momma.” I wink at her, and she rolls her eyes before she hangs up.
I immediately call Matty, who answers after two rings. “What do you want?” He doesn’t even say hello.
“Can you watch Avery next Friday night?” I tap my leg nervously, not sure what I’m going to do if he says no.
“Sure, why?” My fist secretly flies in the air.
“I want to take Addison out on a date,” I tell him.
“Aren’t you dating Jenna?” he snaps. “I swear to God, I’m going to kick your ass and then call Uncle Matthew.”
I gawk at my phone. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think I would ask her out if I was still dating Jenna?” I don’t even wait for him to answer me before I continue, “Idiot. What do you take me for?”
“Didn’t you just meet your four-year-old daughter?” he retorts, laughing.
I don’t even bother answering him, I hang up on him, and then text Addison.
I got a babysitter for next Friday, is that good?
I don’t want to bother her while she’s studying, but I can’t wait. The phone buzzes in my hand, and I see it’s her.
I didn’t say yes yet.
But you didn’t say no either. Would it be okay, or do you have to work?
I don’t have to work.
I smile that she still hasn’t said no.
Okay, good, so one thing less to worry about.
I’ve got to study.
Call me later, if you want.
I pull up the text to my father right away.
What should I do for a first date?
The sound of thunder fills the room, and I look up in time to see the lightning follow another couple of booms. The sound of rain hitting the window fills the room, and my leg starts moving up and down when I see the little gray bubble with the three dots come up. It stays like that for more than two minutes before my phone rings. I press the green button, and then my father’s face fills the screen.
“Hey,” he says, smiling at me, and I see my mother is there. “What does she like to do?” my father asks me, and all I can do is shake my head, shrugging.